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1 Now Jacob lifted his eyes and looked, and there, Esau was coming, and with him were four hundred men. So he divided the children among Leah, Rachel, and the two maidservants. 32:6 2 And he put the maidservants and their children in front, Leah and her children behind, and Rachel and Joseph last. 3 Then he crossed over before them and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother. 18:2, 42:6
Jacob, being the Patriarch of the family, rightfully so, goes ahead of his family to greet his brother. If anyone is to be slain for Jacobs actions against his brother years earlier, it is Jacob himself. And If Esau was to slay his brother upon greeting him, this would give Jacobs family a little time, and space between them to escape to safety. At least this is how I see this action of Jacobs; going ahead of the others. The order in which Jacob has his family divided is one: the children are with their mother to who bore them, secondly, and more importantly (At least to me), they are divided up to who is most dearest to Jacobs heart, and of importance to him. Again, if Esau has hatred in his heart to kill Jacob, Rachel (Who is closest to Jacobs heart, and the one he truly loves), and their son Joseph would have the best chance of escaping safely because they are the furthest back. Notice, that it is the maidservants of both Leah and Rachel who are first in line, with their children, behind Jacob, then Leah (Whom Jacob was deceived into marrying), by Laban the Syrian, is next, followed by Rachel and Joseph. As we will read in the coming chapters, it is Joseph who Jacob cherishes the most among all his children. This is because he is the firstborn son of Rachel (Jacobs true love). Here is another event in which the number seven appears in the bible. Just a reminder; the number seven, as it is referenced in the bible, always signifies perfection, and completeness (Both physical and spiritual), here we see Jacob bows seven times as he approaches his brother Esau. After the seventh time Esau embraces him and kisses him. Jacob has humbly come to his brother, and after bowing to Esau for the seventh time, his transition from Jacob “The deceiver” To Israel “Prevailer with God” who the Lord renamed and is now being perfected in his humbleness, towards his brother, by God Almighty.
4 But Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept. 5 And he lifted his eyes and saw the women and children, and said, “Who are these with you?” So he said, “The children whom God has graciously given your servant.” 48:8,9 6 Then the maidservants came near, they and their children, and bowed down. 7 And Leah also came near with her children, and they bowed down. Afterward Joseph and Rachel came near, and they bowed down. 8 Then Esau said, “What do you mean by all this company which I met?” And he said, “These are to find favor in the sight of my lord.”
I am reminded of the blessing, or as I also called it at the time, a curse on Esau, giving to him back in Genesis chapter twenty seven. At that time Isaac had blessed Jacob, thinking it was Esau who he was blessing. So Esau asked his father Isaac if he had but one blessing left for him? And asked Isaac to bless him also. As part of the blessing Isaac gave to Esau, was a statement in which Isaac told Esau that he would live by the sword, and serve his brother, but when he would have dominion over his brother Jacob, he would break the yoke that Jacob had around his neck (Gen 27:40). Personally I see this moment in time, in which Esau breaks Jacobs yoke around his neck. To me it is obvious, by Jacobs own actions; of bowing down to him seven times, his family bowing down to Esau, the presents Jacob gave to his brother, the fact that Jacob keeps calling himself his brothers servant, and referring to Esau as his lord, reflects Esau’s dominion over Jacob at that moment. Now, this blessing to me is also two fold. Even though Esau and Jacob have been reconciled to one another, the descendants of Esau, have never to this day, broken that yoke from their neck. To understand what I mean by this, I will refer the reader back to my commentaries on Genesis 27:30, 40.
9 But Esau said, “I have enough, my brother; keep what you have for yourself.” 10 And Jacob said, “No, please, if I have now found favor in your sight, then receive my present from my hand, inasmuch as I have seen your face as though I had seen the face of God, and you were pleased with me. 11 “Please take my blessing that is brought to you, because God has dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough.” So he urged him, and he took it. Exo 33:19
Even though Esau kissed his neck, and they embraced each other and wept, if Esau does not accept the presents Jacob offers to him, it would be a slap in the face, and a sign to Jacob, that Esau still has not forgiven his brother for stealing his birthright, and blessings. In accepting this present, Esau would be saying in essence, that he is pleased with his brothers presents and humbleness towards him, just as God is pleased with Jacob, for all he has endured over the past twenty years, and in his righteousness he has prevailed with Him (“As I have seen your face as though I have seen the face of God and you were pleased with me”).
12 Then Esau said, “Let us take our journey; let us go, and I will go before you.”
Esau suggest to Jacob that they should take their journey together, back to the land of their fathers. In this offer of Esau; for them to journey together, is yet another sign of reconciliation between the two brothers. This is the first time in the bible where we see them interacting as true brothers, and not rivals, for any blessings, or acceptance from their parents.
13 But Jacob said to him, “My lord knows that the children are weak, and the flocks and the herds which are nursing are with me. And if the men should drive them hard one day, all the flock will die. 14 “Please let my lord go on ahead before his servant. I will lead on slowly at a pace which the livestock that go before me, and the children, are able to endure, until I come to my lord in Seir.” 32:3; 36:8
Jacob is truly concerned for his family and livestock. They have come a long ways, and they need rest, or they could die. Jacob refers to his sons as children. In chapter thirty one Jacob tells his father in law (Laban the Syrian) that he has served him for twenty years (Gen 31:41), if Leah conceived within the first year of their marriage, that would put Reuben (The oldest son), at nineteen to twenty years old, and Joseph, being the youngest son (At this time), around the age of maybe two to five years old. So Jacob suggest to Esau that he go ahead of him, and he will follow along, slowly, giving his family and livestock time to recuperate from their travels. Again We see Jacob refer to Esau as his lord, being subservient to his brother, not claiming any birthright blessings he may have been giving by their father Isaac, and God Himself. The Lord has already spoken to Jacob a couple times, and has confirmed the covenant He made with Abraham, and Isaac, to be passed along to him ( Gen 28:13-14), I say this to the reader so as to show again the change of character in Jacob. Even though Jacob has God’s blessing, he does not hold this over Esau’s head or even tell him of his encounter with the Lord, nor does Jacob even try to remind Esau of the blessing their father gave to him. We really see the new Jacob in this chapter, and the previous one. Jacob promises Esau that he will meet him again in Seir, which is in the south, in the land of Edom.
15 And Esau said, “Now let me leave with you some of the people who are with me,” But he said, “What need is there? Let me find favor in the sight of my lord.” Ruth 2:13 16 So Esau returned that day on his way to Seir. v.14
In the spirit of this reconciliation between the two brothers, Esau offers his brother assistance, and perhaps even protection, by leaving behind some of his own men to help Jacob. Jacob’s statement about finding favor in his brothers sight could be interpreted as Jacob’s way of asking Esau not to get offended for his refusal of Esau’s offer. So Esau returns to his home and they both separate from each other once again, but this time in peace, Esau has broken that yoke which Jacob had around his neck, and Jacob is no longer fearful of his brother. Their lives will lead them in two different directions: one by the way of the spirit of Canaan (Satan), and the other by the spirit of God. We never read again in the scriptures of anymore meetings between these two brothers, but as for their descendants, a lifetime of strife, bitterness, and war.
17 And Jacob journeyed to Succoth, built himself a house, and made booths for livestock. Therefore the name of the place is called Succoth. Josh 13:27
As I commented on in the last verses: Jacob and Esau don’t meet up again. Jacob doesn’t go to his brother in Seir, instead he builds a house not too far from where the two brothers departed from each other. Succoth is far north of Seir, Approximately two hundred miles (Give or take), from his brother. We aren’t told why Jacob decides to build a house in Succoth, but maybe this could explain why Jacob refused Esau’s offer of assistance, for he had no intention of ever going to Seir to begin with so as to keep the peace between them. The Hebrew word Succoth means booths, (H5523), and the Hebrew definition for booths (H5521), is regarded as temporary shelter. With this in mind, in my opinion Jacob wasn’t planning on spending the rest of his life in Succoth, it was merely a place in which he, his livestock, and his family could rest from their travels. Now Jacob only built temporary shelter for his livestock, but he built a house for himself and his family. Being the shepherd that he was, he knew that eventually he would have to move his livestock to greener pastures as they graze on this land until it was depleted, but his family could stay in Succoth while he, his sons, and even his servants would herd his cattle to other lands to graze on. I believe it is only fitting that Jacob named this place Succoth, because as we read in later chapters we see that Jacob didn’t live out his life here, but traveled the land Of Canaan throughout his life, (Gen 37:1) and eventually he would end up in Egypt, where he would live out the remainder of his life.
18 Then Jacob came safely to the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Padan Aram; and he pitched his tent before the city. 19 And he bought the parcel of land, where he had pitched his tent, from the children of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for one hundred pieces of money. 48:22; John 4:5
this is the second time we read where Abraham and one of his descendants purchase a parcel of land, in the land of Canaan. The first time was back in Gen 23:19, where Abraham purchased the field of Machpelah, which is before Mamre(also known as Hebron), and buried Sarah his wife in a cave, in that field. here we see that Jacob/Israel is now purchasing a parcel of land in the land of Shechem. Shechem lays in Canaan, and is just north of Jerusalem and Hebron, but further south of Damascus. Although not said, this tells me that Jacob intends on making a permanent residence in this area. Hamor is an Hivite prince of the city of Shechem.
20 Then he erected an altar there and called it El Elohe Israel. 26:25
El Elohe Israel (H415), The Mighty God of Israel, Jacob has wrestled with God his whole life, he has seen His power and His might, God changed Jacob’s name to Israel, so in essence Jacob is keeping his promise he made to the Lord when he told him long ago that if God would do this, and that then the Lord God would be his God (Gen 28:20-21). To me this is also more proof that Jacob/ Israel intended in making a permanent residence in the city of Shechem. The other times we read of an altar being built before the time of Jacob always appear to be when one of the patriarchs pitched their tents and dwelt there for a period of time (Compare Gen 8:20, 12:8, 13:4,8 26:25) The only exception to this rule is when Abraham was to offer up Isaac to the lord as a sacrifice, and he built an altar (H4196),(H2076) for the sacrifice. Wherever the patriarchs dwelt, they built an altar in which to worship the one true God and to offer up sacrifices to Him at the appointed times. Therefore, there were sacrifices being made to God before the laws of sacrifices were given by the Lord to the Israelites during the time of the exodus. This begs to ask: did the patriarchs know of the coming Messiah, in which all nations of the earth would be blessed? After all, many of the sacrifices were made to atone for ones sins. When Abraham was to offer up Isaac, and Isaac asked him where the sacrifice was, Abraham replied don’t worry my son, the Lord will provide for Himself a sacrifice (Gen 22:7-8), and we are also told that there were many righteous men of old, and prophets, who longed to see what the apostles saw, and hear what they heard ( Matt 13:17), it would seem only right that the patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, would understand the full meaning of the sacrifices they were offering up. just food for thought.